


Snowbound

by DayenuRose



Category: X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fireplaces, Holiday Fic Exchange, Married Couple, Snow, Snowed In, as the clock struck midnight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:39:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28579866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DayenuRose/pseuds/DayenuRose
Summary: Christmas is fast approaching and Rogue knows two things for certain—she hates the snow, and she misses spending quality time with her husband. Meanwhile, Remy is distracted and keeping secrets (again), leaving Rogue to wonder what exactly he has planned.
Relationships: Remy LeBeau/Rogue
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	Snowbound

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sandmans_Raven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandmans_Raven/gifts).



> Written as part of the Romy Holiday FicExchange for Sandmans_Raven. Merry Christmas!

The grandfather clock in the front room struck noon and the resounding chimes echoed through the lower level of the Mansion. It alerted all the current occupants that lunch would soon be served. But, for the moment, Rogue was still alone in the dining room with her hot chocolate. She was trying to sweeten her sour mood with the treat. 

Her day had started well enough. Remy was coming home from his latest surveillance mission and they had made plans to grab lunch and go Christmas shopping. Unfortunately, her unbridled anticipation started to dim when she was faced with plummeting temperature and fresh snowfall. With the windchill in the negative digits, it was too cold for even her to fly, so she drove. Upon her arrival at the Mansion, she slipped on ice. She—who could fly—slipped. on. the. ice. If that wasn’t bad enough, as she fell she tumbled into a nearby snowbank and somehow managed to bruise her hip. 

Checking her watch for the tenth time in the last eight minutes, Rogue exhaled a frustrated breath. Frowning at her lukewarm chocolate, she slouched back in her chair. This was insane. So, not only was she cold, she was she cold and wet. Not only was she cold and wet, she was cold, wet, and alone. 

_Where is that darn Cajun, anyways?_ She grumphed to herself. They had planned to meet up a half hour ago, and he was nowhere to be found. If his late arrivals had been an occasional thing, it wouldn’t have bothered her nearly as much, but ever since he’d been assigned to the mission with Logan, he’d been distracted, gone at odd hours, and always running late. 

In theory, she understood why, but it was harder to accept in practice. A little over a month ago, the X- Men had caught word of an abandoned Weapon X storage facility located in the middle of nowhere Canada. From the best they could determine, no one had accessed the facility at any point over the last twenty years. It was possible it had been forgotten amid all the bureaucratic red tape. For once, the X- Men had decided to go about things in a cautious manner. Instead of going in with claws drawn and powers blazing, cooler heads prevailed and they decided to go with Gambit’s plan of simply infiltrating the facility and stealing the data. Which left her husband in thief mode—researching the facility, studying blueprints, and investigating the local area. Hence his latest surveillance trip. 

“Mind if I join ya, darlin’?” Logan carried a cold beer with him. Seriously, drinking something cold on a day like today. What was he thinking? 

“Go ahead.” With her foot, she pushed the chair opposite her away from the table. 

“Thanks,” he grunted and took the offered seat. They sat in companionable silence while he drank his cold beer and she finished her chocolate. 

“So,” she drawled. “Is my husband likely to make an appearance anytime soon?” 

“Yup. Said he wanted to shower and change before heading up.” Logan related the news like he was reporting the weather. 

She scowled daggers at him since the true target of her annoyance was nowhere to be seen. “And he didn’ think Ah’d want to join him?” 

“Don’t want to know what the two of you get up to in private,” Logan huffed. He finished his beer and placed the bottle on the table with a bit more force than needed. The glass rattled against the wooden tabletop as the bottle wobbled, then settled in place. “Don’t shoot the messenger, darlin’. Like I know what goes through the Cajun’s mind.” 

“Not like Ah do either,” she muttered cynically under her breath. Lately their lives seemed to be a series of disconnections. Their duties as X-Men kept them running in different directions. While they came home to the same place every night (except for nights when heroing, thieving, or other traveling kept them away), lately there was something preventing them from being on the same page. Whenever she asked what was going on, he’d answer cryptically, then distract her with touch. And the problem was, it worked. By the time she thought to press the matter, something else would come up and the cycle would pick up from where it left off. What truly bothered her was that he was keeping secrets again. She didn’t know what to do about it. Yes, she trusted him, but she was afraid they were falling into bad habits. 

Taking obvious pity on her, Logan expounded on the situation. “Gambit arrived late to the planning meeting—“ 

“Is he okay?” Images of catastrophic injuries filled her brain. Had he been hurt? Was this why he didn’t want her to join him? 

“He’s fine. Said his flight was delayed because of the unexpected snowfall.” 

“Another reason to hate the snow,” she muttered under her breath. Silently, she called down every curse she could think of on the cold, snow, winter, and the northern climes which considered this sort of weather _normal._

“Don’t be so harsh on it, it ain’t all bad,” he said with the patience of someone who had the nerve to be from the north and think there was nothing wrong with snowfall measured in feet. 

“Hmph.” She crossed her arms and glared at him. Nobody would ever convince her that snow was something to be enjoyed. 

Ignoring her insolence, Logan continued as if she hadn’t interrupted, “It took a bit longer than we anticipated to hash out the details. Good news, we’re all set for the mission and ya can have your husband back without interruption.” 

“Until you abscond with him in a few days...” 

“‘Bout that.” Logan drawled, clearly reveling in knowing something she didn’t. 

“What?” She snapped. At this point, she had enough of being left in the dark and didn’t want to play games. 

“We want you to come along. Decided we need one more person for backup.” 

“And why didn’t Remy ask me?” Oh, she was going. She was going all right—all the snow north of the Mason-Dixon Line wasn’t going to stop her—but it didn’t stop her from being irked that her husband hadn’t been bothered enough to ask her. 

“I saw ya first.” Logan shrugged. He stood with more ease than expected of a man of his bulk. “Oh, and we’re headed out in two days. Pack light.” 

With that, he stalked out of the room leaving her alone for a flustered moment before she gathered her wits and went in search of her errant husband. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

Rogue had to bite her lip to keep from giggling. Here she was following Gambit through a completely unnecessary air vent on their way out of the abandoned Weapon X data storage facility, while there was absolutely no reason for them to use the vent. He had bypassed the perfectly good front door without any security in favor of the cramped, dark vents. Although, she wasn’t complaining. From this angle, she had a perfect view of her husband’s backside. She allowed her appreciative gaze to linger. 

As if sensing her eyes on him, Gambit maneuvered so he could glance over his shoulder at her. His red eyes glinted in the dark. “Enjoying the view, chère?” 

“It’s all right, Ah suppose,” she drawled playfully. “Think Ah need better light to check ya out properly, swamp rat.” 

“Then you’re in luck. We’ve reached the end of de line.” He blew her a kiss, then turned back around to remove the grate from the vent. 

With nothing to do but wait, Rogue ran over the mission in her head. Other than being in the middle of nowhere and being abandoned for decades, this facility was just crying out to be broken into. She was surprised no one had tried before them. Speaking of their team—she wasn’t certain why Wolverine and Gambit had decided she was necessary for the mission. Wolverine kept guard outside, prowling through the snow like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. Gambit managed the break-in with no help from her. Once inside, she helped with making copies of the files. While her presence had sped up the process, overall, this mission was something Gambit and Wolverine could have managed on their own. 

Still, Rogue admitted, this had been fun. They spent the afternoon making digital copies of paper files. While they worked they’d flirted and bantered like in the old days. Whenever they were close they touched (including a few stolen kisses). The pressure was off. It was just the two of them working side by side as it should be. She missed this. 

She couldn’t remember the last time they’d been on a mission together. _Their honeymoon?_ And that wasn’t even planned. Some days it felt like everyone was conspiring to keep them apart. They were always being sent off in different directions on different teams. There was never a mission that required both their skill sets at the same time. 

“Roguey, you ready?” Gambit asked as the dim northern sunlight filtered into the vent. 

“Yeah. Lead the way sugah.” 

Once again, she watched appreciatively as her husband pulled himself half out of the opening, then somersaulted forward with an acrobatic grace she could never duplicate, even if she absorbed him. She scooted forward in time to see him land with a flourish meant just for her. Showing her appreciation with a silent applause (they were still on a mission after all), she waited for him to finish showing off and help her out of the vent. He grabbed her hands and helped her slide forward. When she was far enough out to fly she swooped him up in her arms and landed in the shadow of the building. He kissed her and thy were soon lost in the embrace. 

“My ride’s here,” Wolverine growled as he appeared from the shadows. “Got the data?” 

Before he finished speaking, Rogue and Gambit had broken apart and fell into a fighting stance which allowed them to defend each other’s side. Gambit held a full house of glowing fuchsia cards while Rogue held her arms up in a ready position. 

Wolverine chuckled. “I guess you weren’t quite as distracted as I thought. Though, next time, leave the making out until you’re finished with the job.” 

Gambit defused the cards and returned them to the deck while he fished the thumb drives from his pocket. “Here you go, mon ami.” 

With a grunt of acknowledgment, Wolverine stalked away from the building and the spot where they parked their snowmobiles. Rogue hurried after him, while Gambit reluctantly followed in her wake. A helicopter with Alpha Flight markings waited in a nearby clearing. 

“You want a lift?” The woman in the pilot seat asked as she flipped the switches to speed up the rotors in preparation for flight. 

Gambit shook his head, “Merci, mais non. Roguey and I will find our own way back.” 

“Okay,” the pilot nodded. “We’ll see you around.” 

“But...” Rogue shivered and chaffed her arms trying to stay warm. Snow found its way over the top of her boots and down the back of her jacket. She was really, really done with the cold. There had been no heat in the building, and what little warmth she’d garnered from the impromptu make out session was already fading away. All she wanted was to get back to the hotel, take a long, hot soak in the tub, and spend the remainder of the evening in her husband’s arms. Though with his declaration they would find their own way back, Rogue had little confidence that would be happening anytime soon. Sure, they had their snowmobiles, but they were miles from any sign of civilization and even farther from their hotel. Why would Gambit refuse an offer to get them back to civilization more quickly? With the distance they had to cover, they’d both be exhausted by the time they arrived at their hotel. Then, in the morning they’d be headed back to New York and the routine which was wearing on her. 

The helicopter began to lift off the ground. They were still close enough to see if Rogue signaled them to wait. She could contradict Gambit’s refusal and be back at their hotel in an hour tops—if they didn’t run into another adventure along the way. But, she caught a glimpse of her husband’s face. Under the layers of cold weather gear, his face shone with a barely contained excitement and he bounced like a small child on Christmas morning. 

With a long suffering sigh, Rogue looked to the sky. They’d be finding their own way back. At least there was no sign of snow. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

Rogue had no one to blame but herself. She knew better than to think something like ‘at least there’s no sign of snow.’ Some random hand of fate liked to laugh in the face of such declarations and send exactly what they thought they were safe from. 

_Fine, be that way,_ she mentally groused. 

She could blame Gambit for them getting trapped in the snow, but she didn’t have the heart to do so. After all, part of the reason she didn’t insist on taking Alpha Flight’s offer of a ride was the hopeful look on Remy’s face. Like he wanted to spend some time with her. Like maybe he was trying to make up for neglecting her this past month. 

Still.... _snow._ She hated snow. 

Rogue almost bypassed Remy as he pulled his snowmobile to a stop in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. This far north, it was already dark and they were depending on headlights to illuminate the unfamiliar terrain. Correcting her path, she pulled up beside him. They idled between a pair of old, snow-laden pines. The kind often featured in quintessential winter scenes. Remy lifted his helmet and gestured for her to do the same. 

“Cabin,” Remy near yelled to be heard over the sound of the engines. He gestured at a wide pathway she had previously missed situated between the two pines. It appeared to have been shoveled or plowed sometime in the past day. “Let’s take refuge here for the evening.” 

Too cold to protest, Rogue nodded. Though she squinted into the gloom, she couldn’t see the cabin. But Remy’s eyesight was better than hers in situations like this and she trusted her husband. Maybe the cabin’s owner would take pity on them and allow them to spend the night. It wouldn’t hurt to ask. 

“C’mon, mon coeur. It will be an adventure.” Remy grinned at her with the smile meant just for her before he secured his helmet and led the way closer to the cabin. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

A cold gust of wind rattled the cabin’s shutters. The modern dual-pane windows and thoroughly effective heating system kept the winter chill at bay, so she was at last feeling warm. While Remy had gone back outside to check on the firewood situation, Rogue had waited for her fingers and toes to thaw before exploring the cabin. And, well, it was definitely more than a cabin. A chalet— maybe? While she wasn’t quite certain what you called a multi-floored sprawling house situated in the middle of nowhere, Remy didn’t have any uncertainty. He kept insisting they call it a cabin. 

Starting in the kitchen, Rogue was surprised to find it equipped with state of the art appliances and well-stocked cupboards. Further exploration revealed each room had been prepared like the owners had been expecting guests. Just off the master bedroom, she found a large tub with enough room for two. She moaned and rolled her stiff shoulders at the thought of a luxurious soak. Shutting the door to the bathroom before she was tempted to start rifling through cabinets for bubble bath, she wished they weren’t just interlopers for the evening. 

Interlopers they might be, but they still needed to eat. Rogue returned to the kitchen and started the coffee. While she waited, she rattled around the kitchen looking for cans of soup or other instant meals which could be easily replaced. To her surprise (and confusion), she found nothing of the sort. There was fresh produce and meat. She recognized all the sundries needed make a series of gourmet meals. In the cupboards she found enough spices to rival Remy’s collection at home. But no boxes of mac and cheese in the pantry, no cans of soup on the shelves, no frozen pizza in the freezer. Before she could delve too deeply into the mystery, Remy entered the cabin, bringing a cold draft with him. 

“Feelin’ better, chère?” Remy asked. Leaning around his armful of firewood, he pressed a chilled kiss to her cheek. 

Rogue shivered, though she returned the kiss with one on his lips. “Sugah, how much firewood do ya got there?” 

He shrugged in a fluid movement while managing not to drop any of his burden. “I don’ know. There’s more in de wood box out back. Figure dis is a good start for tonight.” 

Following him to the living room, Rogue paused in surprise as he dropped the firewood into the metal rack beside the fireplace. Logs tumbled off of the stack and onto the floor. She rolled her eyes. “Don’ ya think ya went a little overboard? Ah think we have more than enough kindling to last a fortnight.” 

Rubbing his chin, he eyed the stack critically. “Hmm, We’ve got enough to keep the fire roarin’ all  
weekend and not bother wit’ chopping more ‘til Monday at de earliest.” 

Rogue shook her head. When her man got something in his mind, there was no stopping him. “Well, let’s save a few trees.” 

“Now, chèrie...” he drawled in the ridiculous way he did whenever he was trying to make her laugh. “You know what dey say, ‘be prepared.’” 

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. His jacket still carried the chill from his recent time outside while his skin was warm and a little sweaty from his excretions. The ends of his hair was damp from the melting snow. She leaned in close reveling in the warmth and scent of her husband. The tension from the last month was slowly melting away with the chill and the familiar teasing. “Swamp rat, Ah know for certain, ya were never a Boy Scout.” 

“You wound me, mon coeur, I was a Boy Scout for a whole week.” There was such an expression of wounded innocence on his face that Rogue almost wanted to rescind her cynicism. Only, she knew from long experience the more innocent he appeared the less innocent he truly was. 

“Mmhmm. Sure thing, sug...” 

“I had de badges and everything.” Absently, he played with the loose curls which framed her face. Soon, he cupped her cheek and when he dipped his head low enough for his breath to ghost over her lips, he smirked. “O’ course, dey were some o’ my first forgeries. Needed them to get access for a job. T’ink mon père still has a picture of me in de uniform if ya don’t believe me.” 

“Now _that_ Ah believe, swamp rat.” She kissed him until her powers started to tug at his psyche. With a reluctant sigh, she pulled away, though she still remained in the safe comfort of his arms. 

A whistle sounded from the other room, echoing through the spacious first floor. Rogue snuggled closer to her husband, not wanting to leave his embrace. It had been too long since they’d had this easy repartee without the weight of responsibility or expectations. It was simply the two of them, flirting and teasing and taking joy in each other’s company. 

Remy pressed a kiss to the spot where her hair changed from cinnamon to white. “You want to get the coffee started or shall I?” He murmured into her hair, but made no move to let go. 

“Ah’ll go.” Rogue slipped out of his arms and headed for the kitchen. She could feel his burning gaze following the sway of her hips. “You should start warming up, Cajun, before you even dream of touching me again.” 

“Oui, madame,” he responded with a sexy laugh which drove out all thoughts of cold. 

Maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

Earlier in the evening, Remy had dragged the cushions off the couch and gathered the blankets from around the room. He’d created a nest on the hardwood floors in front of the fireplace. Here they had snuggled, sipped hot cocoa, and roasted marshmallows while they indulged in sharing their precious few, pleasant childhood memories. 

Rogue yawned and snuggled closer to her husband. With his arm wrapped around her shoulders, he traced lazy patterns across her arm. Between Remy’s natural body heat and the roaring fire, Rogue was toasty and warm. “This is a nice. Ah wish we didn’ have to leave tomorrow.” 

“You like dis, chère? You’d be okay with staying here a mite longer...” Remy stopped tracing patterns on her arm. His body stiffened in the way it did whenever he shifted to being prepared for action. A thread of anxiety ran through his muscles and touched the edge of his words. If the others were there, they wouldn’t have noticed the change. To the outside observer he appeared just as relaxed as he had been a moment before. Rogue recognized the change partly because she was pressed up against his side and could feel the shift in his posture. Though even if she was observing him from across the room, she would still recognize the signs. She knew intimately all her husband’s tics and tells and body language. It’s how she knew that the secrets he’d been keeping from her for the last month were about to unravel. 

Though, it wouldn’t do to push. She needed to let him play this out. “That’s what Ah just said, swamp rat. Weren’t ya listening.” 

He ran his hands through her hair, then moving up to massage her scalp. She moaned at the pure bliss of his touch. He wasn’t playing fair. “Oh, I was listenin’, chère. Just wanted t’ make sure I properly understood what you were sayin.” 

She glanced up at the mantle clock. The hands ticked steadily as the minutes crept towards midnight. “Looks like we got a lot to do in the morning before we leave. Suppose we ought to head to bed...” 

“Non. Dere’s no rush.” His fingers skirted the hem of her shirt. Despite his promptings, she’d refused to remove her clothes while they lounged beside the fireplace. She didn’t want the owners to suddenly arrive while she and Remy were half naked. “I was thinkin’ after a late breakfast, we could take a nice soak in dat tub. If we’re feelin’ adventurous, we could try ice skating on de pond out back...or, curl up in de library and do some readin’.... I know, we can bake Christmas cookies. There’s dis new recipe I’ve been wantin’ to try....” 

She clamped her hand over his, stilling the restless motion. “Remy, why do ya keep talkin’ like we’re gonna be here for a while.” 

He shrugged. The golden firelight played over his features casting flickering shadows across the stark lines of his face. His red eyes glimmered with mischief. “I might o’ called in a favor or two...” 

“What did you do?” Rogue was too comfortable snuggled against her husband’s chest to get too worked up about whatever scheme he’d put together. She’d deal with it in the morning. 

He rearranged their positions so she was lying on her stomach with the blankets snuggled close around her so none of the warmth would be lost. He began to massage her back, working the tension from her muscles. Definitely not playing fair. “I asked Stormy for a snowstorm. Just enough to make it impossible to leave...for a week...” 

“Remy!” Rogue started to push herself up from the cushions. 

“Quoi? She didn’t even call in the marker. Just agreed to go along with it as a belated wedding gift.” He adjusted the pressure on her shoulders so she sank back down and practically melted under the ministrations of his skilled hands. 

“What if we’re needed?” Despite her husband’s valiant efforts, Rogue was struggling to remain relaxed. 

“Stormy knows where we are and if dere’s a mission where we are absolutely, positively de only ones suitable for completing it...she’ll make sure de snow melts.....until then, de rest of dem t’ink we’re snowed in....” 

“What about Logan? Does he know?” This time she succeeded turning onto her side and facing him. 

“Roguey, stop frettin’. Oui, he’s in on the plan too. You don’ t’ink Alpha Flight ‘coptor just showed up outta nowhere, did you?” 

She shrugged. “We are in Canada....and it’s not like it’s the first time we ran into people we knew while on a mission. Ah mean, remember our honeymoon? We couldn’t take five steps without running into someone else we knew. We were in _space,_ sugah. Ah think we had an encounter with just about every space based team we’ve met before. Seriously, the odds of that must be longer than the odds of running into Alpha Flight while in Canada.” 

“Never tell me de odds.” He gave her a lopsided grin. 

Rogue laughed at his Han Solo impression as she sat up and kissed him. “Looks like Ah got my very own scoundrel.” 

“Oui, ma belle femme.” He adjusted the blanket over them and pulled her in closer. 

“Well....what about the cha—cabin? Ah mean, squatting here for a night or two during a storm is one thing, but a whole week....” 

“Dat ain’ a problem, mon coeur. I talked to de owners and they’re fine with us stayin’ as long as we like.” 

Rogue couldn’t help glancing around the room for some sign of a phone or evidence of who the owners might be. “You did? When?” 

“Few minutes ago. You said you wanted to stay here a mite longer. And, I agreed. Since de deed of de cabin is in our names, I t’ink dat covers de permission side o’ t’ings. Oui, ma chère?” A giddy grin filled his face, completely belying his attempt at stoic nonchalance. 

“This is our place?” Rogue blinked, trying to clear the sleep from her eyes. She had to be dreaming. “When did you buy it? Ya didn’t steal it, did ya?” 

“Non. Stealing a house ain’t as easy as it sounds. Stealing _from_ houses is infinitely easier...” He walked his fingers up her legs and across her hips like there was something else he was considering stealing. She allowed his fingers to roam. 

“Remy you’re gettin off topic.” 

“Right....right....” He pressed his forehead against hers and refocused his thoughts. “When we started plannin’ de mission up in Wolverine’s neck of de woods, I asked if he knew of anybody with a cabin dey didn’ want.... He just happened to know of a place.....den he agreed to let us find our own way home...I finalized the deal when I was up here a couple of days ago. Dat’s why I was late for our date. Desolè, mon coeur.” 

“You. You.” Rogue jabbed him in the chest with each reiteration of the word. “You are the most conniving, romantic, sweetest man in the world.” 

With the end of the sentence, she pushed him over so he was now laying with his back flat against the cushions and Rogue straddling his waist. She kissed him, long and hard and deep. After all, not all secrets were deep and dark. Some simply required time so the reveal could play out at the best moment. “And, Ah love ya, sugah.” 

“Je t’aime aussi, mon coeur.” Her pulled her against him as his fingers danced up her spine and tangled in her hair.” 

The clock chimed midnight as the lovers embraced. “Do you still want to sleep?” Remy asked between playful nips at her ears and kisses down her jaw. 

“Mmm,” she purred, stretching her neck so he’d have better access as his loving ministrations proceeded down her throat and towards her collarbones. 

“I’ll take that as a non.” He chuckled as she nuzzled against him. 

Rogue closed her eyes and allowed herself to revel in her husband’s expert touch. “Ya know, sug, Ah think Ah might just be starting to like the snow after all.” 

Remy watched the golden firelight gild the love of his life. Her skin was so fair, she reminded him of an alabaster statue of a goddess come to life. Placing his hand over her heart, he could feel the steady rhythm of life reminding him that this was no dream and he was the luckiest man in the world. 

“Oui,” he agreed. For a moment, his gaze left his wife as he watched a gentle flurry of snowfall pile halfway up the window. It would be days before they could leave and no one would be able to get to them either. The snow was definitely becoming better all the time.


End file.
